Rule.



RULE.

APPUCATON FILED APR. 30, |915. l ,1 86,853. Patented J une 13, 1916.

Q Z0/`. {di} l ;11 IMII |||/v||| llyl l? ffy 4 Urnnniov STATES 4MTEEDWARD F. SMITH, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI, ASSIGNQR TO '151142152 LUFKIN'RULE COMPANY, OF SAGINAW. MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN. Y' iRULE.

Application tiled April 30L191- i Serial No. 24,938.

To all whom 'it lmay' concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hannibal, county of Marion, and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Rules, of which the followingis a specification, the principle of the-invention being hereinexplained and the best modey in which I have contemplated applying thatprinciple, so asto distinguish it from other inventions.

The present improvements relate in general tomeasuring instruments andmore parf ti'cularly to a device to be attached to the end of ameasuring instrument or rule for the purpose of permitting the same tobe temporarily connected to the end of the object being measured in suchposition that the end of the rule is alined with the end of the object.The usefulness of such a device will be readily apparent since it willbe unnecessaryvfor the user to manually lineup i the end of the rulewith the end of the object being measured, and all that he will have todo is to extend the rule past the end of such object, then pull the ruletoward him until the device which is thesubject matter of the presentinvention strikes the end of the ob'ect when it will automatically alinethe end of the rule therewith. Furthermore,

this device or attachment is so made that it lies normally entirelywithin the boundaries of the rule and does notproject to any extentwhich would, of course, result many times in inconvenience 'to the userand in possible injury to the rule.

To the accomplishment. of the foregoing and related objects, saidinvention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of the various mechanical forms in whichthe principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings-Figure 1 is a' view of a measuring instrumentprovided with my improvement in its normal Lposition;kFig. 2 is asimilar view but showing the hook or attached device in position againstthe object which is being measured, whileFigs. 3 and l `are sectionstaken respectively on the lines 3--3 and n Figs. 1 and 2 respectively,

v portion, so long 20. livotally mounted .vided with an extending InFig. 1 there is shown a measuring instrument, as for'example, a rule,provided wlth a rigid terminal portion 1. It is immaterial as to whetherthe measuring instrument .is entirely rigid, or is jointed, or isfiexible and provided with a rigidfterminal specmcaaon of LettersPatent. t. Patented Jun'e13, 1916.

as there is such a portion to which my measure may be attached. The

end is covered by a metal reinforcing strip adjacent to the end of suchterminal portion is -a plate 2 prop finger 3. and oppositely extendingportion forming a stop 4. Such plate will perfectly extend around theend of the portion 1 and may convenlently be attachedthereto by means ofa suitable stud 5. One edge of the rule adjacent to such end is cut awayas at 6, and the finger 3 yis so formed as to lie, in the normalposition of the plate 2, adjacent to 'such cut-away edge 'and to, besubstantially alined with the measuring edge 7 of the rule, thus forminga substantially continuous surface along-the measuring edge as iscustomary in such rules when not equipped with my improvement. Similarlythe plate 2 isso formed at its other side that when it is in this normalposition there is an edge 8 which is alined with the end 9 of the rule.When Vready for use the 4plate 2v is swung through -90 degrees into theposition illustrated in Fig. 2. In such position the stop 4f on theplate contacts the end 9 of the rule thus alining the inner surface 10of the finger 3 with the end 9 of the rule. It will be noticed in Figs.3 and 4: that the sides of the stop portion 4 are curved and contact theedges of the end of the rule 1 when the stop portion is paralleltherewith, thus bringing the 'finger 3 at right angles to the measuringedge of the rule. It will be noted that even in this position the plate2 lies within the normal boundaries of the rule, that is, no partextends beyond the line of themeasuring edge produced', except of coursethe iinger 3.

In Fig. 2 the method of use is shown and it will be seen that the innerside of the' f edge or side of the object the user can read i, ofthelength of the'object feeling assured that hefvis reading the correctlength {without Vhaving to look at the alinement at the end of the ruleand the side of the object which is a great convenience and permits muchfaster measuring than 1s possible wlth Itheusual type of rules.

Other modes of applying `my invention may be employed instead of `theone explained, change being made as regards the mechanism`heremdisclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dist'inetly` claim as myinvention 1. In a measurin instrument, the combination of a y-rigiterminal portion cut awa along one edge adjacent to its end, and

a p ate pivotally attached to said portion and having a linger adapted,in one pivotal position of said plate, to lieI adjacent toy theprinciple of' the cutaway edge in substantial alinement with' said edge,lsaid plate havin a stop adapted to contact the endof sai' portion toaline such fin er with the end of said portion when sai plate is swungthrough ninet degrees.

nation of a rigid terminal portion, a hook pivotally attached thereto,and a stop on 'said hook adapted, upon movement of said hook in onedirection, to contact the end of the terminal portion and 'aline theinner surface of said hook with the end of said portion, said hook beingformed with an edge 2. n a measuringinstrument, the combialinedwith theend of said portion when l

